Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic If You Only Knew 4/15

**Note** Real life has been getting in the way lately. With no laptop and writing this on my phone, sending it to my wonderful beta (thank you folc4everday) through Google Docs. Now add that to homeschooling 4 girls almost everyday and these hurricanes - well it's been a bit hectic. Thank you for sticking with me.**


If You Only Knew
Part 4

Clark hung up the phone in the kitchen, letting out a long breath. Another voicemail. He’d been trying Lois all last night and all this morning, and he still hadn’t gotten her on the phone. Part of him wanted to fly back to Metropolis and make sure she was all right. The other part of him - the part that was terrified of Lois’ reaction to how he’d been ignoring her the last few days thought it best not to make that trip until he was sure of what he’d say.

At least on the phone, he wouldn’t have to see the hurt in her eyes. He hated seeing her in pain, knowing he’d put that pain there only made it worse. Right now, he felt he was pushing the limits for even himself. He’d hardly slept the last few days, determined to do anything and everything to help fix the issues he’d discovered on the farm.

Broken machinery.

Rotten roofs.

Dead crops.

There was so much his parents hadn’t told him. Missing Lois seemed to be the least of his worries right now.

***

Lana Lang drove down the familiar country road toward the Kent farm. Seeing Clark again had been wonderful. After all these years, seeing him again made all those old feelings come rushing back. She couldn’t even recall why they’d broken up in the first place. In high school, he seemed determined to leave Smallville. Why, she wasn’t sure.

Travel.

Exploration.

Discovery.

She recalled one of her and Clark’s last fights before he’d left Smallville. He wanted to see the world. He wanted to experience what it was like outside the safe borders of their hometown and live among different cultures. Work among people he hadn’t known all his life.

The idea made her cringe inside. Sleeping on the dirt and eating God-knows-what in a third-world-country. Why would anyone subject themselves to that? Her parents had a chef that cooked foods from every culture. She could experience the world from her dining room without the inconvenience of having to talk to someone from a dirt poor country.

Over the years, she’d dated around but never found anyone that had caught her eye the way Clark had. The men her mother had tried to set her up with through the years hadn’t challenged her the way Clark did. She knew in her heart that they were meant to be. It seemed fate agreed. Why else would Clark be brought back to her after all this time?

Yes, Clark had mentioned a girlfriend, but given that this girlfriend was nowhere in sight to help Clark through this difficult time spoke volumes about that relationship. She knew she wouldn’t have let Clark return to Smallville alone to deal with the farm and his father’s health issues alone.

His girlfriend obviously had better things to do in Metropolis than take care of Clark. Well, she would make sure she showed him how a girlfriend should be treating him. If his girlfriend couldn’t make him a priority, Lana would. Yes, they were meant to be together. He would see that. It might take some time, but she could be patient. He was after all, here in Smallville for an undetermined amount of time.

Lana parked her expensive cherry red, fully-loaded F350 near the farmhouse by the old tree she and Clark used to climb as kids. She smiled to herself, seeing her reflection through the tinted black windows. She pursed her lips, reapplying the rosy red lipstick before giving her hair a final fluff.

“Where could Clark be?” she wondered aloud, turning toward the barn.

A long moo could be heard from the Irig farm next door. She turned to see Wayne Irig’s cow staring at her with his nose flared, showing his teeth. That cow always gave her the creeps. “What do you want?” She muttered to herself, stalking toward the gate with a bounce in her step.

Before she knew what had happened, she slid face first into the gate that was right behind where she’d parked her truck. She didn’t scream. She didn’t dare move her lips. Manure. She’d just slipped face first into manure….and from the look on the Irig’s cow...it had to be hers.

‘Don’t panic. Don’t panic. You can fix this.’ she told herself, standing to her feet.

She looked around, making sure no one had seen her land face first into the steaming pile of cow manure. Thankfully there were no witnesses to her embarrassment. She would live to see another day. One thing about Smallville she hated was how fast rumors got spread when she wasn’t doing the spreading.

‘Get cleaned up. I’m sure Mrs. Kent wouldn’t mind me using her…’ A smile spread across her face as a plan began to form. It was perfect. She recalled the numerous times she’d tried and failed to seduce the youthful Clark Kent over the years. He’d never been willing to cross that line with her. She couldn’t understand it at the time. So many guys would have jumped at the chance to be with her, yet Clark Kent refused to budge on the issue.

‘That was then,’ she reminded herself. He had traveled the world….experienced things all across the globe. Surely he had outgrown his shyness. She reached for the handle on the screen door, pressing the button as she pulled it open.

Yes, fate was definitely on her side.

***

Kansas.

It was always hot.

Extremely hot and sweaty. The air was dry. The ground was dry. Everything was so...dry compared to Metropolis.

She could feel the sweat beads rolling down her lower back as she pulled up the familiar winding driveway. Jonathan’s truck was still parked by the shed. Tools were scattered around next to what she assumed used to be the Kent’s tractor. It looked like Clark had been trying to fix the motor….and wasn’t having any luck.

“Well, I’ve never worked on a diesel engine, but I’m sure it can’t be that different.” She muttered to herself as she turned the rental truck off. After her first trip to Smallville, she’d learned a thing or two about which vehicles to rent and what to wear on these trips. Her usual attire of business suits were left back in Metropolis. She opted for a pair of comfortable jeans and a lightweight top.

She walked toward the tractor and grimaced when she saw a handprint welded into the side. He only did that when he was angry or frustrated. The entire time she’d known him, she’d only seen him lose control a handful of times. Each time there had been special circumstances. Though the current situation was extenuating as well, this time there was no bad guy to stop. No super-villain to put behind bars. You couldn’t take a heart attack and put it in prison for hurting those you cared about. You couldn’t arrest it.

“Oh, Clark,” She sighed, looking back toward the farmhouse.She spied a bright red truck on the other side of the driveway. It didn’t look like something Clark or his parents would typically drive.

It was bigger than anything they would need on the farm.

It was well-maintained and accented with extras she knew neither Jonathan nor Martha could afford. She certainly couldn’t picture Clark renting something like that either.

She moved her hand to her forehead to block out the sun, grabbing her suitcase and carrying it with her into the farmhouse.

***

Standing at the entrance of the old red barn that had been standing for almost hundred years he could hear the young calf inside whine once again. He knew how it felt to miss the one you loved the most. The calf’s mother had been sold last week, and now the calf was not eating.

“Come on young fella, you have to eat,” Clark said as he tried to bring the bottle to the young calf once more, but he turned his head away in protest. “I know you miss your momma.”

He had left another message for Lois at her apartment. He had not heard back from any of the messages he’d left. He wasn’t sure if she was busy with a story and couldn’t talk or if she was biding her time and punishing him for not returning either of her calls from when he’d first arrived.

Either way, it was torture not hearing her voice. At least when she’d been calling, he’d had the reassurance that she was okay. He still wasn’t sure if he should fly back to Metropolis to check on her or not. What he did know, was when he did hear from her he was going to have to endure her wrath for what he’d put her through the past few days. Just a few hours of not hearing from her seemed like torture to him, giving him a sense of what he’d put Lois through.

“I messed up, little guy,” Clark told the calf. “I love her so much, and I keep messing it up. I don't know what to do or how to fix it. Everything is so out of control. The farm is one bad harvest away from bankruptcy. Dad's in the hospital and who knows if he'll ever be back at a hundred percent. Let alone be able to work the farm the way he used to. Why didn't he tell me? Why did he let things get so bad?”

He sighed in relief when he saw the baby calf begin to take the milk. “I really wish Lois would at least call. Let me know she's okay. I'm really starting to get worried.”

***

Lois entered the farmhouse with her suitcase in hand. She felt the eerie quiet throughout the house. Every other visit to Smallville, the Kents’ farmhouse had greeted her with warmth and love. Jonathan was always working on something on the farm. Martha had her art and her cooking. The farmhouse was always filled with warm smiles and laughter. The deafening silence and emptiness hit her like a wave. She could only imagine how hard it must have been for Clark when he’d first arrived.

‘If only he’d let me come with him. I could have helped.’ she thought to herself. ‘Even if it was just helping clean or run errands. I could have done something.’

When she entered the kitchen, she found herself missing the familiar aromas of Martha’s cooking. In its place were the citrus smell of cleaners and bleach. She spotted the clean dishes in the drying rack, and the pile of mail on the blue and white counter top. Lois glanced over the three stacks. One looked to be junk mail. The other appeared to be bills. The last stack was stamped with ‘final notice’ on the outside of the envelopes.

“Clark, what is going on?” she asked herself realizing his parents were in debt. The late notices pile sat higher than the other two. Maybe there was something she could do to help. She’d set aside the award money from her Kerths and built up quite a nest egg. It was just sitting there. She wouldn’t miss it. Maybe she could help dig the Kents out of the financial hole they'd dug themselves in.

Lois looked around the kitchen in dismay. Her heart heavy with emotion as she began to process everything. She was tired. She was drained. She didn’t see Clark anywhere inside the farmhouse. Maybe a nap would help with the jet lag. She needed to unpack and freshen up before she saw Clark too. It had been a long flight and even longer drive from the airport.

She headed towards the narrow hallway leading to Clark’s bedroom, still feeling the eerie sense of emptiness in the Kent home. It amazed her how things could change in just a moment. Jonathan and Martha brought so much love, and warmth into their home, welcoming everyone they knew. It made her heart ache to know how much they’d been struggling in private.

Clark’s bedroom hadn’t changed much since the last time she had been there. The full-size bed was neatly made with the midnight blue and white plaid comforter and matching sheets. The bed looked like it had not been slept in, but it looked like Clark had at least been in the room. One of his t-shirts laid crumpled up on the floor next to the laundry basket. She picked up the dirty shirt and held it to her chest as if she was holding him close. She could still smell his familiar scent on the shirt and it made her miss him even more.

“Oh, Clark, where are you?” Lois stated as her heart ached for Clark, his parents, and the mess of everything that had caused his dad’s heart attack.

Lois held his shirt to her chest as she climbed into his bed, inhaling the familiar scent of her missing boyfriend as she laid back on the soft mattress. One by one tears began to fall down her cheeks as her anxiety and grief from the last few days finally became too much for her.

***

“Unbelievable!” Lana scrubbed the last of the manure off her arms as she patted her arms off with a hand towel. She’d washed up for the most part, but she still needed to shower. There was no way she wanted to see Clark still smelling like cow manure. She looked around the familiar kitchen she had been in so many times as a teenager. She couldn’t fathom why Clark did not want to stay in Smallville. It had expanded since he first moved away with more businesses, another elementary school, and the high school had expanded to a new building. The Smallville News had even expanded with several more sections. Lana was sure if Clark decided to stay in Smallville that he could become Editor at the Smallville Press instead of being paired with Lois Lane at the Daily Planet.

What was so wrong with Smallville anyway? It was where he had grown up. His parents lived here, the farm that had been part of the family for generations. It was the stuff of legends. Not many families could tell their children or grandchildren of how they were the original settlers of Smallville, but the Kents could. Why would Clark not want to be part of that?

Lana walked through the house, finding Martha Kent still kept her towels in the linen closet outside the guest bathroom. The more some things in her life changed one thing she could always count on was the consistency of the Kents. She walked into the bathroom, stripping down, tossing the manure infested clothes in the hamper. She’d get to those later.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror, seeing the brown smear stains on her cheek from where she’d unsuccessfully attempted to remove the manure off of her. Lana snorted to herself, “Stupid cow probably did it on purpose.” Still, she couldn’t help but smile at her reflection as she admired her figure in the mirror.

Imagine Clark Kent’s reaction if he’d walked in on her right now. What would he have said? More importantly, what would he have done? True, he was a man of honor. Her failed attempts to seduce him in their teenage years wore heavily on her heart. She never could understand why he never wanted to take their relationship to the next level. But that was then. He’d more than likely grown out of his shyness.

He claimed to love this ‘girlfriend’ of his, but she didn’t see her anywhere. Clark was after all still a man with needs. Maybe after her shower, she could make herself more comfortable in Clark’s room and wait for him. Afterall, with his girlfriend out of town, he’d need someone to help him through all of this. His girlfriend certainly didn’t care enough to come to Smallville with him so it would be her own fault if Clark were to let his guard down and finally allow himself to be comforted through all of this. He was, after all, a man. No man could resist the charm of Lana Lang.

***

Lois heard the sound of water running in the old farmhouse. She figured Clark had finally come inside and was washing the dirt and sweat off from the work he’d been doing on the farm.She looked around the room, suddenly self-conscious. How would he react to her being there? Would he be mad? Happy? Relieved?

She looked down at herself, seeing the cotton shirt and jeans she was wearing. While it was something practical to wear on the drive over here, she wasn’t sure if it was what she wanted to be wearing when she saw Clark.

Lois paced around the room nervously, looking from the closet to the bedroom. How would Clark react? She really hadn’t thought any of this through. She moved to the closet and fingered the soft material of his cotton Smallville U jersey.

***

Lana finished drying herself off in front of the bathroom mirror, examining herself in the mirror as she wrapped the towel around herself. She frowned as she rummaged through the cabinet beneath the sink, looking for a hairdryer. Didn’t Martha Kent know keeping beauty products in the guest bathroom was considered common courtesy?

“Ah-ha!” she exclaimed, finally pulling out an old unused hair dryer from the back of the cabinet. It wasn’t the brand or style she was used to, but it would do for now. She quickly dried her hair and combed through her long locks with her fingers, teasing the hair strands as she dried it to keep the volume and bounce she was used to. After she was done, she returned the hair dryer to its home beneath the sink then turned to look herself over in the mirror.

She’d always prided herself on the curves she’d been blessed with. Afterall, it was with this body that she’d been named Corn Pageant Queen six years in a row, and landed some promising opportunities in modeling in her earlier years. Yes, she prided herself on her body. She knew no man had been able to resist it when she’d offered it to them. No man that is, except for Clark Kent.

‘Well, that’s about to change.’ she thought to herself, tightening the towel around herself.

She was going to give Clark the biggest surprise of his life when he came into his bedroom and found Lana Lang in his bed.

***

Lois took a deep breath, looking herself over in the shorts and jersey she’d changed into. She saw the doorknob turn and felt her heart hammering in her chest as she propped herself on the edge of Clark’s bed.

“Who are you?” Lana asked as she noticed the dark-haired woman laying on Clark’s bed.

Lois looked up in shock to see a blonde haired woman in nothing but a very small towel that just barely covered everything.

Lois stood to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest, “I believed I’m the one that should be asking you that.” Lois did her best to hide any wavering in her voice as she confronted the woman.

“You must be Lois Lane,” Lana stated not moving away from the doorway or covering herself up. “I’ve heard Martha and Masie mention you a couple of times.”

“Well, then I guess you have the advantage.” Lois narrowed her eyes at the blonde as she took another step inside Clark’s room. “Because I have no idea who you are.”

“Clark hasn’t mentioned me?” the woman asked in an innocent tone before adding with a suggestive tone. “I’m not surprised. When we’re together, we don’t do much talking.”

“Somehow I find that hard to believe.” Lois tightened her arms over her chest. “He’s in a committed relationship. He would never do anything like that to someone he loves.”

“Clarkie is loyal,” the woman said with a frown, “but when those old feelings come rushing back, it’s hard to control them.”

“Old feelings?” Lois repeated in disbelief with a snort.

“We used to date,” she said with a smug grin, “in high school.”

“And obviously it didn’t leave enough of an impression if Clark never mentioned you in the three years that I’ve known him,” Lois shot back narrowing her eyebrows at the mysterious woman.

She knew what this woman was trying to do and it wasn’t going to work. She may not have talked to him in the last three days, but she knew he’d never cheat on her. She knew he’d never let some blonde vixen with obvious fake body parts come between them. She knew Clark.

“Well, Clarkie does take a long time to warm up to people,” the woman said with a knowing smile.

Lois couldn’t help but laugh at that, “Now I know you’re lying. Who do you think you are?” She took a step toward the woman, and she backed away, frightened. “First of all, Clark would never cheat on me. Ever! Especially not with the likes of you! Second of all, I know for a fact you don’t know anything about Clark Kent because if you did you would know he’s the friendliest guy you’ll ever meet. He makes it his job to get to know everyone in his life. Third, whoever you are, get your naked behind out of my boyfriend’s room and out of this house before I throw you out!”

“Whoever I am?” the woman echoed. “The name is Lana Lang.” She said in between gritted teeth. “Clarkie knew I was coming, how about you?”

“That’s none of your business.” Lois spat bitterly, not allowing her inner doubts to seep through. She couldn’t afford to let this Lana Lang feel like she’d won any points with her digs at her. It was obvious she was trying to start trouble by ruffling her feathers and making her doubt her relationship with Clark. She wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.

“I’m just happy that he is finally back home where he belongs. His dad’s heart attack was a blessing in a way - it bought him back home to me.” Lana finished with a smug grin.

That was the final straw. She could insinuate all she wanted and make innuendos all she wanted. She could insult Lois and Clark and the entire city of Metropolis for all she cared. What Lois wouldn’t tolerate was her celebrating the Kents’ grief. Jonathan was fighting for his life. Martha was worried sick. She knew Clark had to be a wreck.

Anger flared in her eyes, “How dare you?!?” Lois shouted, grabbing her arm and forcing her out the door. “Get out!!”

“Let go of me!” Lana screamed as Lois pushed Lana out of the bedroom. Lana reached up to grab Lois’ brunette hair, “You little...Let go of me!”

Lois reached for a chunk of Lana’s hair, fisting it as she yanked at it, causing Lana to cry out in pain.

***

Clark finished tightening the last screw on the old shed, sealing the tin roof with heat vision to ensure it wouldn’t come loose again. The animals were fed, the fields were plowed. All that was left to do was clean-up and then head to Metropolis. He needed to do his patrol over the city and make sure his alter-ego’s presence was noticed to keep the criminal element at bay. He also needed to see Lois. The longer he went without talking to her…

“Get out!”

Clark’s super-hearing picked up a familiar feminine voice coming from the farmhouse.

‘It couldn’t be.’ he thought to himself.

Another familiar voice echoed, “Let go of me!”

‘Oh, no…’

At super-speed, he raced inside the farmhouse, not even stopping to put his tools up.

Within seconds Clark was in the hallway outside his bedroom. Lois Lane had Lana pinned down by her wrists with one hand and a fist full of her hair in another. “If I ever see your….”

He felt his ears burn red when he heard the language coming out of his girlfriend’s mouth. Both women were barely wearing any clothing, and yet all he could concentrate on was the name-calling and the cat-fighting they were doing.

Lana freed her wrist and reached up to scratch Lois on the face, “You little tramp! Just wait till I get my hands on you!” she screeched.

“You got a lot of room to talk you little bi...” Lois hissed angrily, lifting her fist to strike Lana back.

“Lois!” Clark grabbed Lois by the waist, pulling her off of Lana, “That’s enough!”

Lana wore a smug grin as she stood, readjusting her towel as she stood to her feet.

“Both of you,” Clark added, glaring at Lana before turning his attention back to Lois who was still fighting to get free and get a swing at Lana. “Stop! Lois…. Lois, stop. Stop.” She finally stopped swinging and he took a deep breath, willing his anger at the juvenile behavior from both of them to go down. “Now, what is going on here?”

***

TBC…